


We Belong to the Sea

by TheBuggu



Series: We Belong to the Sea [1]
Category: The Transformers (IDW Generation One), Transformers - All Media Types
Genre: AU: Humanformers, AU: Merformers, M/M, OT6 if you squint
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-20
Updated: 2015-03-24
Packaged: 2018-03-18 17:55:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,869
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3578607
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheBuggu/pseuds/TheBuggu
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Based off of vienn_peridot's ASCW AU. Merformers!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [vienn_peridot](https://archiveofourown.org/users/vienn_peridot/gifts).



> Thank you for giving me permission to write off your au! I hope this doesn't disappoint. :3c

When Prowl arrived just past 6 a.m., he was surprised to find the beach empty and abandoned. Someone had anonymously called the police station to report the incident, but not a soul was present now. From his car, he did spot a large mass on the shoreline though and he quickly stepped out. Without wasting a moment, he cautiously approached along the sea bank's path.

After noticing its tail, Prowl mentally confirmed he was dealing with a Mer. The creature had a bright green coloring on his scales. Prowl noticed the two thin streaks of purple running all the way from the Mer's neck to the tip of his fins.

The Mer had not seen Prowl yet. Good. He had a few extra moments to assess the situation.

Prowl could see the Mer was ensnared in some sort of rope. Perhaps a net or a fishing line. It must have been cutting into flesh, because Prowl saw a mixture of blood and loose scales covering the nylon string.

He froze when red eyes glanced towards him. The Mer mirrored his reaction.

“Don't be alarmed,” Prowl murmured softly and inched closer. “Can you understand me?”

He wasn't surprised when the Mer did not make an attempt to respond and simply resumed struggling. Some of their kind could speak human language, others could not or didn't care to learn.

“Wait!” Prowl hissed and kneeled down. He whipped out the pocket knife he kept at hand for just such occasions.

The Mer glared at Prowl and shrieked, bristling as much of his fins in a warning, but Prowl slowed his approach instead of staying away. He extended his free hand forward, flat and palm open, in a hopeful display to show he wasn't going to hurt the Mer. He quickly reached for the closest portion of fishing line and swiftly cut it free. He winced in sympathy when he realized just how deeply the line had cut into flesh.

“Easy, easy now,” Prowl whispered as he glanced up at the Mer for a reaction. He seemed to have settle down after watching Prowl closely, with realization sinking in. When the Mer did not move again but kept his gaze pointedly on the pocket knife, Prowl slowly continued. Inch by inch, the fishing line was cut free.

After minutes of diligently cutting the line, Prowl stood up and took a step away. The Mer remained laying on the bundle of tangle fishing line, supporting his head and chest by his arms and breathing heavily. Prowl took the opportunity to bring his phone—now sealed in a waterproof case, thank you, Hot Rod—and quickly snapped a few pictures.

_Ratchet, you awake? Got an anon complaint at the station and found this poor guy tangled up at the beach. I just cut him free, but I don't know what the best course of action would be now. Can you identify the type of Mer and its temperament?_

_Pictures are attached. Please respond a.s.a.p._

But, before Prowl could wait for a response, he noticed that the Mer was rolling over and crawling slowly. He grunted and clawed at the sand, staring at the ocean waves. Perhaps the Mer needed to be hydrated. He was lucky that that was still so early in the morning and less likely to get dehydrated.

“I'll take you to the water, but please don't swim away. I'll get you medical help,” Prowl said in a calm tone.

Still no indication from the Mer that he understood.

Prowl frowned and kneeled down by the aquatic creature again. He slipped an arm under his waist and lifted the Mer up with a grunt. He was heavier then he looked. A lot heavier.

The Mer must have been exhausted. He did not try to fight or get away from Prowl, but he glared at the human and produced a low-key rumbling.

Prowl waded into the ocean water until he was about knee deep and gently lowered the Mer down.

He felt a sudden vibration in his pocket. Ratchet must have finally replied to his text. He helped the Mer move into a sitting position before turning his attention to his phone once more.

_It's too early for this. You owe me a coffee. Anyway, from your pics, looks like a chromis-type. Never met one in person, but heard stories. You never find one alone. They group together in a pod. Usually around six members and have a pecking order. Have you seen any others?_

Prowl reread the last lines of Ratchet's text and quickly scanned the distant horizon. As if on queue, he spotted green flashes diving down under water and listened as several splashes echoed from the movements.

_Yes...I think. They're watching me from the ocean, but keeping their distance._

Another vibration from his phone.

_That's a start. Heading down there now, be there in 10._

Prowl nodded and glanced down at the Mer. He was still sitting up.

He frowned and waded a few steps in the water, gazing out at the ocean. Luckily, the waves were rolling slowly and calmly. And that's when he saw them rising up from the water.

One by one. Mers of identical colors. They all shared the two identical purple streaks on their backside. The only difference between them was their fin shapes and length. Four sets of red eyes peered at Prowl as they swam closer. That made...five altogether. Ratchet mentioned six.

Before he had the chance to open his mouth, the newly freed Mer darted past him in a surprising burst of energy and rejoined the others. Prowl was hit by the recoiling splashes. He grunted and wiped the salt water away from his face, but still watched as the group seemed to melt into a single coordinated mass. The other Mers crowded around him, speaking to one another in their native tongue. Prowl watched, almost flabbergasted as one of the Mers dived suddenly while the others tended to the injured one. He returned nearly seconds later, holding clutches of seaweed in his hand. Silently, the Mers each took a strand of seaweed and wrapped it, covering as many of the deep slices as possible.

“Can any of you understand me?” Prowl spoke up, which spooked the Mers. They all turned to stare at him again and watched. When Prowl received no answer again, he hesitantly reached into his pocket and pulled out his land link token, given to him by Ultra Magnus. He wished the Mer was here to help translate for him.

Prowl held out the token for the group of Mer to see and silently observed their expressions.

“ _Friend?_ ” he suggested in Mer tongue, hoping he pronounced correctly.

Finally, the Mer that had been rescued muttered something. The others perked up and turned their full attention to Prowl. Two of them cautiously swam forward, but Prowl remained in place; standing waist deep in the water. One reached for the charm, almost like a shy child asking for a gift, and Prowl simply allowed the Mer to snatch it and examine it.

Prowl glanced over his shoulder after hearing a car door slam shut. Ratchet was stepping out of the rehabilitation center's large van. He waved to the other man, but froze after a series of hisses arose. He was suddenly jerked forward by hands on his arm. Prowl sputtered in confusion. The two Mers had grabbed him and pulled him.

“What are you doing?” Prowl yelped and tried to pull back, but each Mer now held one arm against his chest and began to swim.

He flailed and tried to kicked against the water, but the Mers had the advantage of being better swimmers. They already managed to yank him several feet.

They were trying to dive under water with him. Prowl panicked and squirmed.

Another of the Mer's joined them, wrapping an arm around Prowl's waist.

Prowl took one last long gulp of air before he was completely submerged and dragged away from the shore.

 


	2. 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Based off of vienn_peridot's ASCW AU. Merformers!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I didn't plan this out well enough. Looks like there'll be one more chapter. Enjoy the Mers!

When Prowl awoke, he was cold and soaking wet, but he was...alive? He felt stiff and sore. His eyes cracked open and he glanced around, groaning softly. He was laying on a long and flat rock; one roomy enough for two or three people to sit together. But something else caught Prowl's attention after sitting up: he was completely surrounded by water.

It was a spacious area, but from what Prowl could see, it was entirely protected by cavern walls. There were no openings in the cove, except for a few holes in the ceiling. Too far up for Prowl to try climbing either.

He leaned over to the edge and gazed in the water. Sun beams ascending down through the holes overhead were the only source of light.

The water was a clear, crystalline color. Several schools of tropical fish were swimming around. Down below the surface, Prowl could make out many different colorful types of coral reefs, and if Prowl wasn't worried about being trapped, he would admire how beautiful it was.

Quickly, Prowl patted his pants a few times, feeling for his phone. He immediately pulled it out of his pocket with a sigh of relief and unlocked it with a flick of the thumb.

_6:49 a.m._

_12 missed calls._

He rubbed his face in exasperation.

_5 new messages._

Prowl snorted.

Just as he finished browsing his phone, it began to vibrate again. Ratchet's number flashed on the screen.

“Hello?” he answered with a hoarse tone. His throat felt dry and scratchy. Most likely from the seawater.

“Do you have any idea how stupid that was?!” Ratchet barked. Prowl flinched back from the phone and held it a few inches away.

“Ratchet?”

“You're lucky you weren't drowned!” Ratchet howled. If Prowl wasn't mistaken, there seemed to the roar of a boat engine in the background. “Injured Mer can kill!”

“I understand. You'll have to give me the unabridged lecture after I get out of here,” Prowl muttered. “I seem to be in some sort cave, but there isn't any entrance I can see.”

Ratchet harrumphed. “Then it must have underwater tunnels. Where are the Mer at?”

Prowl blinked and quickly glanced around. “I don't see them,” he said quietly as he noticed a large fish left on the rock near him, sliced into several pieces.

“Any idea why they took you?” Ratchet questioned.

Prowl shook his head. “Not that I'm aware of.”

“That's helpful,” Ratchet replied in a deadpan.

“Wait,” Prowl began and frowned. “You mentioned the chromis-type form a pod of six? I only saw five, including the tangled Mer.”

“Odd.” Ratchet sounded disgruntled. “Alright, I'm going to hang up to focus on searching. Call me if anything happens. But do _not_ get back in the water with the Mer. Got it?” he warned.

“Affirmative,” Prowl murmured with a small nod.

“And Prowl? When I get my hands on you for pulling such a rookie move, the Mer will seem pleasant compared to me.”

Ratchet didn't give him the chance to respond before he hanged up. Ratchet would seem grumpy and irritable to some, but Prowl understood. He was dedicated to keeping Mer and humans safe and took his job extremely seriously.

After slipping his phone back into his pocket, Prowl stood up in alert when a splash echoed through the cavern. Eyes darting around, Prowl spotted several flashes of green among the fish in the water. And then, he saw them. The Mer were watching him from beneath the water's surface, peering up at him with uncertain expressions. Prowl quickly counted and recounted the figures. Still five. No matter how many times Prowl eyed each of them, five anxious looking Mers remained in the water.

He frowned and sat down on the rock with a thump. His body was beginning to break out in shivers. Prowl twitched and huddled against himself; arms wrapping around his knees. He wasn't in danger of freezing or retracting hypothermia, but it still felt unpleasant to be so cold and drenched.

When he glanced up, he spotted movement breaching the water. The Mers were approaching the rock—testing the water, so to speak— and inching closer and closer. Prowl waited.

He recognized the first Mer brave enough to swim up to the rock. It was the one that took his land link token. The Mer lifted his head and glanced from the rock's surface to Prowl a few times. He tapped his webbed fingers along the edge of the rock, as if considering his options.

Prowl continued watching in silence.

The others soon followed him.

The Mer glanced back to his pod members before pulling himself up on the rock.

Prowl held his breath, wringing his hands as a result, and slight scooted away.

What did these Mer want? Perhaps they had no intention of harming him; Prowl reasoned that he could have just been drowned and left underwater if they wanted to kill.

“Can you understand me?” Prowl repeated again.

“Shards. Pieces,” one of the Mer finally spoke up. When Prowl skimmed a glance at the other Mer, he found the voice belonged to the one that had retrieved the seaweed earlier. He was allowing the injured Mer to lean against him.

“Why did you bring me here?” Prowl questioned, throwing short stares to each Mer.

“Not bad. Two tails hurt most,” another Mer replied. “Not bad.”

“Yes. And there are many others like me,” Prowl said and frowned. “They can help your friend.” He nodded towards the injured Mer, still wrapped up from head to fin in seaweed.

The more Prowl was able to observe the Mers, the more subtle differences and nuances he could see between them. Two of the Mers had distinctive black lines running horizontally across their faces, while the other three instead had grey lines. Some had longer fins running down their back, one had spikier fins. Prowl even noticed that the first Mer to speak had tiny red speckles on his cheeks traveling all the way down to his chest.

The Mers did not respond to Prowl and instead hissed at one another in their own tongue.

“Two tails tricked.” This time, it was the Mer sharing the rock with Prowl pipped up. “Scrapper gone. Few tides passed.”

“Scrapper?” Prowl's fingers rested against his chin in consideration. “Is that your...?” His voice trailed off. The pangs of sadness in each Mer's eyes told him enough. Suddenly, things were falling into place. Prowl produced a heavy sigh and struggled to clear his throat. “I-I see. I am sorry for your loss.”

“Long boat came, throw food. Scrapper hit cutter,” one of the Mers explained somberly. “Boat left.”

“I am so sorry,” Prowl repeated, finding himself at a loss of words. What would Ratchet do in this kind of situation? He glanced back to the Mer that had climbed up on the rock and then to the fish. “I...ah. Thank you for the fish? I can't really eat them raw like your kind, but I appreciate the gesture,” Prowl added with a hesitant chuckle.

“Favorite. Scrapper,” a new voice added.

This was something Ratchet would be better able to handle. He needed to find a way back to the beach.

“What is this place?” Prowl asked and glanced around.

“Secret from two tails. Deep water. Paths.”

It seemed Ratchet's theory about underwater tunnels was correct.

“Can...you lot bring me back to the beach? My friend is worried about me,” Prowl explained and stood up. And Ratchet was most likely going to gut him too.

“Back?” the Mer who had been tangled up finally spoke. He then snarled something angrily in Mer.

“Bad string,” the Mer supporting him explained.

“We'll do everything we can to help clean the beach up. There won't be any more of the... bad string there,” Prowl replied.

The Mer then glanced to one another and began to speak in hushed hisses and then returned their attention to Prowl after a few moments passed. They all quickly swam towards the rock. Prowl blinked in surprise and straightened his position in anticipation, but the Mers instead pulled themselves up with less than graceful belly flops.

“After warmth--”

“Need rest--”

“Cold.”

They all crowded together. One of the Mers swiped the uneaten fish and chomped on it, the others then adjusted their positions—consisting of heads strewed against tails and arms clutching chests. Prowl never thought he would have the opportunity to see a Mer dog-pile.

It was interesting how the Mer acted, but part of Prowl felt uneasy.

The police officer rubbed his eyes and sighed again. He pulled his phone out again and dialed Ratchet's number.

“Ratchet? It's me,” Prowl began when the other line answered. “I'm not entirely sure where to begin, but...there's a lot to talk about when you find me,” he said and glanced over his shoulder to the Mers.

Red eyes mirrored his anxiousness.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Un-beta'd. ;D


	3. 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Based off of vienn_peridot's ASCW AU. Merformers!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WELP. I spent all day writing this. I have work for the next several days, so I wanted to give you guys something to read! I wouldn't have time to get this done otherwise. :3c
> 
> Edit: oh, forgot to mention there's tiny bit graphic detail that involves eating fish?? So if you don't like that stuff, don't read? xD

Prowl stirred and jolted awake. He rubbed his eyes and glanced around in confusion. The last thing he remembered was finishing his conversation with Ratchet and then closing his eyes. And... maybe dozing off. It took a few seconds for the police officer to realize he had been leaning against something warm. The Mers.

He slowly shifted around and faced the pile. Several yawns seeped out all at once, with arms shooting in the air as well. The Mers stretched out and shoved each other lightly. Prowl heard a few raspy hisses and watched as one of them slapped their tail on the ground. It seemed humans weren't the only ones who could wake up on the wrong side of the bed. Well. Rock in this case.

The first to emerge from the mass was the Mer that had taken his token. He slithered away and looked up at Prowl, blinking sleepily. Saying nothing, the Mer pulled himself towards Prowl and cautiously settled down directly beside him. Prowl, unsure of what to make of it, tensed up and watched. He couldn't help himself from stealing a few glances at the Mer and his tail. It was amazing how the Mer physiology differed from his own. He almost wanted to reach down and brush his hand against the scaled appendage on a whim, but the idea of Ratchet having another reason to gut him alive caused him to hesitate.

Prowl shifted his stare from the Mer beside him to the others and observed as one after another lazily slipped into the water. The four Mers simply floated in the water for the time being. Prowl could almost laugh at how silly they seemed: almost mythical-status creatures behaving with human-like routines. However, one of the Mers quickly spotted a group of fish swimming below and flipped over. In an instant, he dove down underwater and darted after the fish. Effortlessly, he snatched one by its tail and chomped down on its head. Seconds later, the fish was immediately devoured.

The injured Mer remained close to the rock. He yawned again but continued clinging to the jagged surface.

Water suddenly splashed up against Prowl. He jerked in surprise and looked over his shoulder. The Mer beside him growled. Prowl heard a loud snicker and spotted a green blur diving away; he watched in surprise as the Mer lounging on the rock snarled and crawled forward. The Mer disappeared into the water with a snapping motion and swam after the mischievous one.

For several minutes, it was a game of cat and mouse. One pursuing, the other fleeing.

Prowl continued watching in amusement. But the longer he oversaw the shenanigans, the more an odd sensation overcame him. Guilt? Weariness, perhaps.

He should've known better. Prowl wasn't a tourist or one of the local fanatics. He had a job to do.

After Prowl stood up, he cleared his throat and glanced around. The Mers dropped whatever tasks they were doing and quickly turned their attention towards him—even the two swimming had eventually paused their game and poked their heads back above water.

“I need to go,” Prowl explained and sent a short glance to each Mer.

“Back?” one of them pipped up.

He nodded and crossed his arms together. “My friend is still waiting for me.”

The Mer quickly swam towards each other, huddling around and conversing in short hisses. They all exchanged glances before turning back towards Prowl.

“Leaving...?” one of the quieter Mers asked. Prowl recognized him as the other Mer that had grabbed his arm earlier that morning, as well as the one that had just splashed him.

“No. I'm not leaving. My friend is just worried,” Prowl replied. “But, I don't know the way out of here.”

He swallowed nervously and slowly inched closer to the water. He slowly sat down on the rock, legs lowering down into the water. _Serviceable_ backstrokes weren't going to help him this time. The Mers seemed to perk up at his actions and swam closer.

“I can't breathe underwater,” Prowl reminded them. He wasn't sure how much Mers knew about human anatomy.

The Mers blinked, but to Prowl's surprise, they grinned as well.

“Help!” one said with an excited tone.

Prowl frowned. He wasn't sure what that meant exactly.

With Ratchet's words hanging over his head, Prowl gave in and dropped carefully into the water. He warned Prowl not to get back in with the Mers, but he didn't have a choice. He couldn't stay trapped with the Mers. Even if they seemed friendly.

He pushed away from the rock and swam towards the group, kicking the water awkwardly to propel himself forward.

In an instant, two of the Mer were at his side.

Prowl held up his arm. “When I need air, you have to take me up to breathe.”

The Mers hissed at one another again, but they eventually nodded. It oddly struck Prowl at how quickly they complied.

He flexed his hands nervously. Was he really going through with this? Prowl took the biggest gulp of air, cheeks puffing out, and latched onto the closest Mer's arm. Quickly, they dived underwater together. The other Mers followed.

The seawater stung his eyes.

He squinted and blinked several times, trying to adjust his sight. But, no matter how much he attempted, he couldn't make out anything more than a few feet away. At least the Mers were brightly colored and stood out in the water. So, Prowl just had to stay close to the giant green blobs.

Two of the Mers swam ahead and dived even further.

Prowl's vision was fuzzy, but it looked like they were approaching an underwater tunnel. A school of fish suddenly darted up in front of Prowl. He flinched back in surprise and accidentally swallowed. Prowl panicked, slapping one hand against his mouth, and tugging on the hand of the Mer guiding him. A light-headed sensation overcame him. Prowl flapped his arm wildly, gesturing to the water's surface as one of the Mers turned back and swam closer.

He couldn't make out which one, but a Mer floated directly in front of him. He reached forward gently tipped Prowl's chin up. Prowl froze when he felt lips brush against his own and stared. He nearly shoved the Mer away, but paused. The Mer was...blowing into his mouth?

Prowl greedily swallowed and gazed at the Mer with a stunned expression. He was even too distracted to register when the Mer gave him a nudge and moved ahead. He fidgeted for a few seconds but relented and resumed his kicking. He refused to acknowledge that a Mer had just kissed him. No. It wasn't even a kiss. He had simply given oxygen for Prowl to breathe...through his mouth.

In hopes to ignore his growing embarrassment, Prowl scanned the system of tunnels they led him through. There were several openings in the rock wall, branching off above, below, and at all sides. It was like maze! How did the Mer navigate through such an intricate path? It was incredulous, but he was really there with a group of Mer in the underwater cave system.

Prowl lost track of how many turns their group had taken—and how many not-kisses he received from the Mers to keep him breathing—but they finally swam out into larger opening. Prowl nearly gaped. It was a large spread of coral reefs; it had to be at least a couple miles long. So many schools of fish hovered back and forth near the coral. It was a breathtaking sight. The colors were beautiful. The sun was high in the air now and it shined down in the waters, amplifying the mystical appearance of the reefs.

For a moment, Prowl could understand why people were so _entranced_ with the Mers. They lived in an alien world: one a normal person would never get to experience. And yet, here Prowl was. Swimming with a whole pod. 

Prowl quickly glanced up when he heard the muffled sound of an engine. Not too close, not too far off. He saw a boat in the near distance. The colors look distinctly familiar, and though he couldn't see every detail, it looked an awfully like one of the rehabilitation center's boats used for rescues. He waved to the Mers, in hopes of catching their attention and pointed up. They all paused swimming and stared at Prowl. They then began to hiss at one another. Prowl was intrigued with how different Mer tongue sounded underwater. It was less...scratchy and intimidating. To Prowl, it almost sounded like they were singing.

He rolled his head up and pointed up again. The Mer were hesitating.

Perhaps it was the boat itself that was scaring them. Or whatever happened to 'Scrapper'. 

Prowl frowned and gently released the Mer's arm he had been holding. He gave them all a final glance before turning away and beginning to paddle awkwardly up to the surface. One of the Mers grabbed his arm unexpectedly after a few strokes. Prowl looked back. The Mer all wore sad expressions. He was tugged back.

The boat was getting closer and closer. 

Prowl shook his head desperately and pointed to the boat again. The Mers all produced sounds similar t o  whines, but Prowl's arm was reluctantly released. He immediately began to swim up towards the surface. Another dizzy spell was setting in. 

It felt like an eternity as he ascended through the water. His heart was pounding against his chest. It was growing harder to keep his focus. 

The boat was overhead. Mere feet, then inches. Prowl gave a final burst of energy and pushed up. He was splashed in the face by smaller waves after he broke through the surface. Prowl took many large and deep breaths of air as he steadied himself — to the point where his throat grew sore. 

He looked up when he heard the boat's engine cut off; he listened as footsteps overheard moved towards the side closest to him. And Prowl smiled in relief when he saw their owner. 

The next few minutes happened in a blur. Prowl found the strength to pull himself onto the boat while Ratchet helped haul him up. A towel was draped over his shoulders while Ratchet gave him a bottled water to drink. To help stay hydrated, he explained. Prowl didn't need to be told twice and chugged a third of it down. 

He wiped his face with the towel and tilted his head back, staring up at the sky.

“I suppose I owe you that explanation,” Prowl murmured. 

Ratchet narrowed his eyes and snorted. 

So, Prowl did just that. 

He began to recall the events of the past couple hours: everything from how the Mer acted as he freed it from the fishing line, what happened when he awoke in the hidden cave to the point of his last phone call to Ratchet, and finally how the Mers helped him swim back. He tried his best to include every detail, no matter how small it might have seemed. Ratchet, to his credit, did not interrupt Prowl—he only scratched his chin while considering the police officer's words.

“They're still here,” Ratchet muttered and eyed the water.

Prowl slowly stood up and braced against the side of the boat. Five green figures were watching the boat, as Ratchet said. But, Prowl noticed that they appeared to be even closer to the boat now. 

“What do you think?” he asked, genuinely curious as to what Ratchet would do. 

“You ever watch one of those animal documentaries, with a newborn baby losing its parent?”

That...wasn't what he expected to hear.

“A lion or leopard kills a gazelle and it has a baby. The baby is too young to know that they should be scared. And, instead of running, the baby imprints on the predator.”

Prowl's mouth gaped in confusion. 

“This is a very difficult situation,” Ratchet grumbled. “From what you told me, sounds like that the Mer who died was the pod alpha. Remember how I mentioned they have a pecking order?”

“Yes,” Prowl replied softly. He looked from the Mers in the water, to Ratchet, and then to the Mers again.

“My guess is that this Mer died really recently. Days maybe at the most.” Ratchet leaned against the ship as he peered out. “They should have formed a new pecking order, but grieving Mers aren't exactly predictable.”

“But...why not just lash out at me? It would seem more logical,” Prowl replied and frowned again. 

“I'm thinkin' it's because you saved one of 'em.” 

“So, what can be done?” Prowl asked and lowered his gaze. 

“Don't feel guilty, kid. I'm not happy with them latching onto a human, but I'd rather it be someone trustworthy like you instead of a poacher.”

That seemed like the only positive. 

“But now, there's the question of what to do with them. There's just not enough room for that many all at once at the center. We could make room for that one,” Ratchet explained, while pointing out the Mer still wrapped in seaweed, “but that's morally questionable. I don't think this pod could endure with having another member taken away. Even if it's just a short period. Too stressful, I'd imagine.” 

“I see. That's understandable,” Prowl murmured. 

Ratchet pinched at the bridge between his nose and eyebrows. “I guess we can only set up a patrol in this area to make sure they're safe from poachers. He's with a pod at least. That's a better chance then he has on his own.”

“What...should I do?” Prowl asked.

Ratchet didn't reply at first. When he did turn to face Prowl, his expression was unusually grim. “You can't spend every second with them. All you can really do is give them some of your time. Maybe visit a couple hours a day?”

“Is there a chance they will find a new Mer and adopt it into their group?”

“Doubtful,” Ratchet mused. “Pods are more complicated than a typical human relationship. Most bond as they grow from a fry. And besides, I haven't seen any stray Mers that aren't already in a pod.”

Prowl sighed and nodded silently. 

The Mers were swimming up to the surface and approaching the boat apprehensively. Prowl glanced to Ratchet, but to his surprise, Ratchet took a few steps away and gestured for the police officer to move. Prowl gave in and stepped closer to the  boat's open doorway. He sat down, allowing his legs to submerge into the ocean. 

One by one, the Mers popped their heads up and stared at Prowl. 

“It's alright,” he said. 

“Leaving?” the same Mer asked again. 

“Yes, but I promise it won't be for long.”

The Mers weren't happy with his answer and began to hiss to one another in distress. 

Prowl shook his head and pointed up at the sun. “I can come see you when the sun begins rising and when it sets. I'm sorry it can't be more, but I'll work on a better schedule.” He held out his hand. “I promise I'm not abandoning you.” 

The Mer huddled around in a circle, making hushed noises at each other. Finally, the Mer that had retrieved the seaweed inched closer to the boat and grabbed Prowl's hand. 

“Hook,” the Mer said. 

Prowl tilted his head and blinked. 

“Hook!” he repeated with an annoyed tone and lightly beat a hand against his chest. 

“O-oh. I see,” Prowl said, tone growing with understanding. “Prowl.” He mimicked the Mer's gesture.

'Hook' seemed satisfied and quickly dove back under the water. 

The next Mer to swim up the boat was the one who had taken his token...which he never got back. “Scavenger!” he blurted out and followed after Hook.

The prankster Mer finally got the courage to swim up. “Mix...Mixster?” 

Prowl wasn't entirely sure that's what the Mer's name was—he didn't sound sure either—but it was an attempt. 

The last Mer besides the injured one held another fish in his hands and quickly finished it in single bite. “Bone...crunch. Bonecrush.” But instead of swimming after the others, he waited for the other Mer. 

Prowl expected the injured Mer to say something as well, but he didn't. The Mer regarded Prowl with a single snort before clinging to Bonecrush—Prowl assumed—and diving underwater with him. He watched as the group of Mers disappeared in the distance, swimming back the way they brought him. 

“Interesting pack of strays you've found,” Ratchet teased and walked back to the boat's steering wheel. 

Prowl sighed, but he couldn't help but to nod in agreement. 

“Nobody said it was an easy job, Prowl.”

It was the last thing he heard before Ratchet turned the keys. The engine roared to life. 

The boat shot forward. The several mile journey back to shore was a quiet one. 

 

 

 

 

 

Barely days later, Prowl got a strange call from Ratchet at the rehabilitation center. He wasn't given any details, but Ratchet's tone had implied urgency. Even though Prowl had just visited them earlier in the morning, he feared that the injured Mer had to be brought in or that another of the pod had been hurt. Or worse. Anything could happen in a matter of hours. 

So when Prowl rushed into the center, he was greeted by Ratchet and led directly to the medic's office in silence. 

To his surprise, there was an unfamiliar teen sitting down, back faced to the door. He looked no older than a highschooler. His hair and eyes were the same shade of brown. He wore a khaki shirt and scuffed blue jeans, with an old pair of tennis shoes. 

“Alright, kid,” Ratchet announced as he made his way to his chair. He sat down and eyed the teenager sitting before him. Prowl was taken back with how quickly Ratchet's demeanor changed. “Repeat everything you just told me. Now.”

The kid shuffled in his seat and stared down at the floor. His mouth pulled back into a growing frown as he wrapped his arms together tightly. He swallowed nervously. 

“Yeah...Ok,” he muttered softly. “My name is Spike Witwicky.” 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hahahaha. Plot twist! 
> 
> Don't worry, this might be done, but the story isn't over yet.
> 
> Also, un-beta'd ;D

**Author's Note:**

> The constructicons are based off a combo of green and red chromis fish. The green are obviously green, but the red have these neat purple lines on them. It makes an interesting pattern to think about. 
> 
> Un-beta'd. ;D 
> 
> Also Hook was the one that got the seaweed.


End file.
